Bally’s Corporation’s plans to open a flagship casino destination in Chicago have taken a step forward after it reached a multi-project labor agreement with the Chicago & Cook County Building & Construction Trades Council (CCBT).
Building Chicago’s first brick-and-mortar casino, Bally’s Chicago is a $1.7bn proposal that will feature 3,400 slots, 170 table games, 10 food and beverage venues and 500 hotel rooms.
This labor agreement ensures that local organized laborers will be employed to work on the construction of the site, and that underrepresented populations will be involved in the process.
“BCTC is proud to stand with Bally’s Chicago in this historic building of the first and only casino in the City of Chicago,” said CCBT President Michael Macellaio. “With this agreement, Bally’s shows that it understands the importance of good-paying jobs in our city and the dignity of our hard-working people.”
Aiming to be the ‘Best of Chicago’, the casino will offer amenities related to arts and culture, food and sports, and curated dining and entertainment experiences and will be located on the 30-acre Chicago Tribune Publishing Center at the intersection of Chicago Avenue and Halstead Street.
The casino agreement, which is designed to be an economic driver for the city, offers Bally’s the opp open a temporary casino location for up to three years whilst the construction process is taking place.
“At Bally’s, we believe our company should reflect the community,” said Bally’s Chairman Soo Kim. “This PLA is a demonstration of our commitment to embrace organized labor that has played such a key role in building the great city of Chicago.
“This is the first step of a project that will be built by Chicago, for Chicago, and help the city keep its promises to the police and fire pensions.”
“We are also committed to inclusivity and our partnerships with the CCBT, Chicago Federation of Labor, and Hire360 will ensure our workforce will reflect the rich diversity of the city.”
Bally’s has already detailed its support to diversity through the Chicago casino project, working with the minority-led construction minority firm, Chicago Community Builder’s Collective, which has been enlisted to help with the building work.
Further, it has formed a diverse minority investor group with 25% ownership in Bally’s Chicago.
“We appreciate that Bally’s holds itself to a higher standard when it comes to employment,” concluded Bob Reiter, President of the Chicago Federation of Labor. “Our mission is to strengthen the participation of underrepresented populations—with a special focus on engaging youth to consider the trades as a viable and inspiring career path—and Bally’s has proven to take that very seriously.”
